Entries in vision
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To all my Worship Leader Friends, I wanted to share with you a very rough blueprint I'm working on for our worship experiences at BBC.

Every aspect of worship will be fueled by the realization of God's grace. We encourage authentic and powerful wholehearted worship and God-focused adoration while we seek to avoid human-focused sentimentality. Our music follows this same focus, and we sing more about God and his work and less about ourselves and our efforts.

1. Worship at BBC will uphold the vision of BBC to lead people on a journey to become fully devoted followers of Christ.

2. We will utilize the gifts of our leaders to create and facilitate worship that is done with excellence. This requires intensive, weekly rehearsal before Sunday morning.

3. We will avoid like the plague all routines and templates that are tired and overused.

4. We will make it our goal to avoid distractions and create smooth seamless transitions.

5. We will utilize silence intentionally and not accidentally. No awkward, “what’s next?” looks from the platform.

6. We will place high premium on song and hymn texts that are Biblical and relevant. Songs that are sung shouldn’t be sentimental and trite. They should be honest songs that reflect the reality of the journey.

7. Everyone should have an opportunity to make a change in his or her life because that is what happens when we encounter God. If you want to see something that doesn’t move, grow or change- go to the funeral at look at a corpse.

8. We will challenge the worshipers to do something and we will make it clear what that “something” is. We will make every effort to avoid creating “yada-yada-yada” experiences.

9. The choir will rehearse weekly to prepare for upcoming services. Not every worship service will require a choir. When the choir is used, we will strive to communicate the importance of becoming a mirror of what worship looks like.

10. Worship shouldn’t be a performance for the congregation to watch. It should invite full participation.

11. Our worship will be bathed in prayer. We will schedule prayer warriors to be praying. They will have an idea of the content of the message so they can ask specifically for the message to stick.

12. The message will be Bible-based with practical stories and illustrations. This was the primary teaching tool Jesus employed. This is one tradition we should keep.

13. The message will be challenging and relevant to Christians and unbelievers. We believe that the message of Christ works and because it works, it is exciting, wise and curious.

14. Baptism will be the climax of everything we do because it is the greatest visual of Christ’s purpose. It will be celebrated with great irreverence. In other words we should invite people to cheer, clap and shout because that's what we do when God changes a life!

15. We will place a high priority on visual design as well as the use of objects. We will be quick to remove objects that rival the cross in their affection for them.

16. Worship begins in the parking lot. We will connect with people as they enter our site. We will be welcoming but not creepy.

17. We will challenge everyone to give and point to generosity as a primary act of glorifying and magnifying God.

18. We recognize that worship should make people welcome but not comfortable. Comfort was never the goal of Jesus and so it shouldn’t be our goal.

19. Worship is about families. Correction: Other people’s families. Every member of Bluegrass should be on mission to welcome and invite our community in worship.

20. We all realize that if we are to thrive as a church, it’s going to take a miracle. Pastors don’t do miracles. Worship leaders don’t do miracles. Talented musicians don’t do miracles. But if we are all in, focused on the Great Commission, and passionately united, Jesus won’t hold back. Life-change will happen. Worship will happen. And yes, Miracles will happen.